The mud was thick. Maybe a better term was deep. There were six of us in the car. Dressed for church: full suits, dress shoes and ties, dresses and high heels.

A few years ago, we had just finished a weekend assignment (guest preaching and leading worship as students). The final evening service had ended, and we were headed back to the home where we had been billeted. One of the students in the car lived in the area and he suggested a back road that was quicker. The sign that said "road closed" didn’t phase him in the least and he said they had signs like that all the time. Go ahead and drive it, he said. 

Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice, but we had enjoyed a great weekend, we were students, and what was a sign? A mile down the road, when the car was deeply embedded in the mud of the closed road, we decided perhaps a different road might have been better. When we couldn’t push the car out, we needed to walk through the mud to the nearest factory and hope for someone to be on shift (cellphones were not invented yet). Needless to say, we eliminated the high heels and the mile walk certainly changed the look of what we were wearing. Two tow trucks, three hours, and a hose-down later, we were back on a road that would lead us to our destination.

As I was thinking about this newsletter, and how many of us feel like we are stuck, and the road we are on is not drivable, this story reminded me that there is more on the other side. My encouragement to you is that there is more. One priority of Resonate is Gospel Witness – how do we reach our neighbours and community by showing and sharing the love of Christ? How do we work past where we have been stuck to imagining a new road? 

Resonate would love to offer the resources to help churches get unstuck and to pray for you. Also thank you to those who have started sharing their Pivot Challenge stories. Look for your challenge from another church and don’t forget to post the videos. We would love to showcase your story!

-Beth Fellinger, Resonate Regional Mission Leader for Eastern Canada 

Have you ever gone on a short-term missions trip and wondered how to navigate the cultural disconnect between your team and your local mission partners? In this blog post, Resonate intern Amy Lemstra shares how changing the way you approach your missions work can lead to greater connection and ultimately, to greater impact. 

Have you ever played the game Two Truths And A Lie? This fun ice-breaker game is often played in groups as a way for people to get to know one another. Each person in the group tells three things about themselves — two of them are true while one is not. The rest of the group has to guess which is the lie. It often spurs some interesting discussion, especially when someone you thought you knew well fools you with their clever lie. See if you can spot mine!

1. I speak four languages: English, German, French, and Latin. Okay, maybe no one really speaks Latin anymore. Minor detail.
2. I have lived on three continents: North America, Europe, and Australia. Currently I am living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with my husband and two university-aged sons.
3. I have two positions with Resonate Global Mission: Group Coordinator for Volunteer Ministries and Global Connections Local Mission Leader for Canada East Region. In my role as Group Coordinator, I work with groups from churches and schools who want to join our missionaries in the field for either a Service and Learning Trip (SALT) or a Vision Trip. As Global Connections Local Mission Leader, I work with mission committees, staff members, pastors, and councils to see how Resonate can encourage and partner with CRC churches in their vision for global mission.

Which is the lie? I don’t really speak four languages. I wish I did! English and German are my languages, although I did have both French and Latin in high school and can maybe ask for directions to the Metro in Paris.
All games aside, if your church is interested in discussing your vision for mission and how Resonate can support you in that, or if you think you may be interested in more information about our SALT and Vision trips, you can always reach me at gbruce@crcna.org. I look forward to hearing from you!